Electricity has become so integral to modern life, that even a temporary power outage can disrupt our lives and cause chaos.
Although power outages in small-scale settings are not life-threatening, they can cause data loss, productivity declines, and revenue loss. We are dependent on electricity so it is important to be aware of the causes of power outages and how we can protect ourselves against them.
These are the top causes of power outages.
Short Circuits
A short circuit is commonly used to describe a power failure. A short circuit is an electrical current that travels on a different path than the one it was intended to. An excessive electric flow can build up and cause damage to the circuit, fire, or even explosions.
Short circuits are also a major reason for electrical fires around the globe.
Make sure that the equipment used in electrical installations meets all specifications to avoid short circuits. High-quality circuit breakers and fuses should also be installed to ensure that power is automatically disengaged in the event of a short.
Power Surges
Another common reason for power outages is a power surge or overloading of the electricity main. When too much current flows through the electric wires, it can cause power surges. This can lead to rapid overheating that can melt the wires or start a fire.
Avoid putting multiple power-hungry appliances on the same power line to prevent power surges. Professional electrical services can install surge protectors on your main power switchboard.
Natural Causes – e.g. Lightning and storms
Lightning can sometimes strike power lines during storms, causing an increase in electrical pressure. This causes an electrical surge that can cause a large spike in voltage and overload the circuit. The surge can cause damage to appliances, especially older ones, and could result in a power cut.
Lightning strikes can be almost impossible to avoid, so make sure you have high-quality surge protectors installed in your appliances.
Spower Electrician Singapore provides complete electrical services including emergency electrician service in Singapore. Our EMA licensed electricians and electrical workers are EMA/BCA/IDA certified and specially equipped to perform all types of electrical repair and work including electrical installation such as ceiling fan installation, light installation power failure recovery, and electrical wiring, rewiring electrical switches, power sockets lights, electrical switches as well as DB Box replacement. We have more than 10 years of electrician experience and have done many electrical projects for both residential and commercial electricians. We have many happy customers and glowing reviews.
Protect your home from power cuts
A good electrician can assess your electrical needs and help you protect yourself against sudden power surges or short circuits. Some people can install a surge protector on the electricity line. Others may need to upgrade their homes’ existing wiring.
What causes power outages?
There are many reasons why power outages can occur. The three most common reasons for power outages are overload, natural causes, and human error.
A power outage can be caused by an interruption in power generation or electricity supply to homes. This can be caused by inclement weather, human error, equipment failure or animal interference. A power outage can also be caused by scheduled maintenance, although this is normally communicated to the households in advance.
How long do power outages last?
Most power outages last only a few minutes or seconds. Sometimes, however, outages can be very prolonged, even lasting several weeks.
Some power outages can be caused by lightning strikes or wind storms. This can cause damage to power lines and long delays in restoring power. Extended outages can impact entire communities, and even the economy, if power is not available to large parts of the population. The Northeast blackout of 2003, for example, left 50 million people without electricity from New York to Canada’s capital Ottawa.
What are the Different Types Of Power Outages?
There are generally four types of power outages: brownouts (blackouts), permanent faults (rolling blackouts), and brownouts (brownouts). Each one has a different cause and can be dealt with in different ways. These are discussed below.
Blackout
A blackout is an entire loss of power in an area. This is the most serious type of power outage. It can affect large numbers of people in large areas. Blackouts are usually caused by major damage to electric generation facilities (e.g. structural damage from severe wind storms or lightning strikes), and can often last several weeks.
Brownout
Brownouts are usually caused by a drop or interruption in the electrical voltage. These outages are known by the dimming of lights caused when voltage drops. Brownouts are not a cause for total power loss, but they can affect equipment performance. Some devices (e.g. hairdryers and electric ovens) may not be able to operate due to the lower voltage.
Permanent Fault
Permanent faults are sudden power loss, most often caused by a fault in the power line. These faults are easy to fix: power will be restored automatically after the fault has been fixed or removed. This outage is not likely to affect large areas because it can cause problems further down the supply lines to homes. Larger blackouts or brownouts can be caused by problems with the generation. However, problems in the supply system are often easy to spot and fix.
Rolling Blackouts
Rolling blackouts, which are planned power outages, are very different to the others. These blackouts are often implemented in areas that have unstable grids or infrastructure that is unable to handle the population. Rolling blackouts may also occur if there isn’t enough fuel to power the system at its full potential, either for the short-term or the long-term.
Spower Electrician Singapore offers complete residential electrical services. We do all types of electrical work from electrical inspections to regular maintenance. Contact us at +6583836111 / hello@spower.com.sg to receive a quote.